


keep my head above the water

by IMightwing



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2019-01-31 01:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12665163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IMightwing/pseuds/IMightwing
Summary: Jason wrapped his hand gently around the back of Dick’s neck. “Dick, you did the best you could. It-”“Then my best wasn’t good enough,” Dick snapped coldly, looking up at Jason for the first time. Tear tracks marred the lines of blood and soot that had mingled on his face.





	keep my head above the water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [samaelstoker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samaelstoker/gifts).



> This was written as a (very) late birthday present for samaelstoker.

“Fuck,” Jason swore, as he fumbled the key into the lock. “Dick?” he called as the door finally swung open. He kicked it closed behind him and flicked on the lights in the living room, the predawn light still too dim to properly illuminate anything.

The lights turned on to show Dick, still in the Nightwing suit, sitting on the living room floor with his arms clutched tightly around his knees. 

“Oh, Dickie,” Jason said softly and walked over to where Dick sat on the floor. “Hey, pretty bird. It’s okay.” He smoothed a hand through Dick’s hair and knelt down.

“S’not okay.” Dick’s voice was thick with tears and rough from the smoke he’d inhaled earlier. “I fucked up, and now people are dead.”

Jason wrapped his hand gently around the back of Dick’s neck. “Dick, you did the best you could. It--”

“Then my best wasn’t good enough,” Dick snapped coldly, looking up at Jason for the first time. Tear tracks marred the lines of blood and soot that had mingled on his face. 

Jason quickly took measure of the situation, then bit back the instinctual sarcastic retort that popped up when Dick used that tone. Dick needed someone to talk him down right now, not rile him up. Some nights Dick needed a fight, a chance to work out all the anger and frustration that he kept locked inside onto someone who could take it and fling it right back. But tonight, what Dick really needed was someone to catch him when he fell and to attempt to put him back together. 

Jason walked to the bathroom and retrieved a small bottle of adhesive remover and a washcloth before coming back to the living room and sitting down in front of Dick. He flipped the bottle upside down, getting the washcloth wet and carefully dabbed at the edges of Dick’s mask where the tears hadn’t already loosened the adhesive. Once the mask was loose, he carefully pulled it off Dick’s face and set it on the coffee table. He brushed Dick’s hair away from his forehead and smoothed a hand down his face to gently cup his jaw. 

Dick was crying again, silent tears slipping down his face and dripping onto his knees. 

“You did everything you could,” Jason said gently. “Unfortunately, we live in a world where assholes plant bombs. And more often than not, those bombs work. But Dick, you saved lives tonight. There are people out there alive, who are breathing, who are going to have futures and fall in love and do amazing things and be happy, because _you saved them_.”

Dick’s breath hitched as the silent tears gave way to sobs. He fell into Jason’s lap, silently imploding. Jason wrapped his arms around Dick and tried to keep the pieces together. 

“It’s okay,” he murmured, smoothing a hand over Dick’s back and letting him cry. Eventually, the tears stopped their descent down Dick’s face and the sobs stopped shaking Dick’s body. He sniffled and sat up, rubbing at his face. 

“I ruined your shirt, I’m sorry,” Dick said hollowly. He looked terrible. His face was puffy and red, his eyes swollen. His face and suit were still covered in grime. 

“It’s okay, Dick. It’s just a shirt.” Jason stood up and pulled Dick up to his feet. “Come on, let’s get you clean.”

He led Dick into the bathroom and methodically stripped him out of his suit. He made sure the water was hot enough, then helped Dick under the spray. As Dick showered, Jason threw the suit in the wash and started the load. The fewer things Dick needed to deal with from tonight, the better. He changed out of his clothes into a too-tight, borrowed pair of Dick’s sweats and brought a clean pair into the bathroom for Dick. He’d wrapped himself in a towel and was drying off his hair.

“Brought you some sweats.” 

Dick smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “Thank you,” he said, and slipped into the pants. 

Jason held out his hand. “Let’s go to bed.”

Dick took it, and followed Jason into the bedroom. The sun was slowly starting to peek over the Bludhaven skyline. Jason got them both tucked in with Dick lying on his chest. 

“I don’t know if I’ll sleep,” Dick whispered, the ghosts of everyone who had died that night haunting his voice. 

“Then we’ll just watch the sunrise.” Jason kissed the top of Dick’s head. 

Dick twined their fingers together and angled his head to look out the window. Jason hoped that exhaustion would take over and Dick would eventually fall asleep. He would need it, before he woke up and tried to make amends for his imagined failure. 

Until then, Jason was going to hold Dick, and hope the rising the sun would remind him of the beauty still in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed. You can find me on tumblr at graysonning.


End file.
